Detroit: The New Belle Isle

Detroit, I love you. I got to experience the new Belle Isle. I like what I saw. In a way I missed the strip of loud music and hard bass blasting out of cars and rumbling motorcycle gangs hanging out in the parking spaces that traced throughout the island. The loud marijuana lingering in the air and brown bags filled with hard liquor and seeing red, white or blue cups lifted in a man’s hands while grabbing a booty with the other while literally bumping and grinding to the music on the rim of the strip. Short skirts, shorts and dresses, loud colors and dirty expressions. Belle isle used to be something else in the summertime. It would be filled with black bodies of all walks, family reunions and Greek picnics. People playing basketball, football, volleyball, softball, you name it. The beach? I never bothered that beach. My daddy never wanted us playing in that dirty water. The Giant Slide was my favorite. It used to be yellow and my sister and I would skip steps trying to run to the top faster to find a spot and lay out that big potato sack made of burlap. I’d hop on first and then she’d sit between my legs and I’d wrap my arms around her so we wouldn’t separate going down those huge hills. I’d get nervous every time. Saying prayers in my head cause I’m an over-thinker lol and then we’d scoot ourselves off the edge and plunge! That slide would make your stomach rise and fall like a roller coaster ride and since it was so steep, it would always end too fast. We’d run over to get more tickets to run back up those stairs and ride back down again!

I was happy to see the Giant Slide was still there. It was a different color though. Had it been open, I would of tried to slide down it for old times sake. The new Belle Isle was much cleaner, quiet and diverse. I still saw family reunions and Greek picnics and people playing music but I also saw multiple races of people, peacefully interacting and relaxing on the grass as they gazed at the Detroit River, the dividing lines of the Renaissance Center and Canada’s Windsor. College students were laughing and talking as they skated pass and rode their bicycles. The big fountain that lights up at night had no pennies in it. Kelli pulled out her selfie stick and the family and I took a few photos in front of it. We walked passed a few families quietly fishing in a pond. I miss fishing. I was happy to see a few animals were still kicking it at the zoo. I remembered how huge of an island Belle Isle is and I was happy to see it was big enough for everyone to find a spot to have fun in their own ways. It was a clean, diverse and fun environment. OK, Detroit I see you! smile emoticon ‪